Cranberry gatherer



Dec. 9,1930. J. E. MoRANo CRANBERRY GATHERER Filed April 20, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l mvg/non ATTORNEY 1, E. MORANO 1,784,702

' CRANBERRY GATHER ER Dec. 9, 1930.

Filed April 20, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet James l ATTOR N EY Dec. 9, 1930. E MORANO 1,784,702

CRANBERRY GATHERER Filed April 20, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @mE/wrm@ |NVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1930 Unire; Aras PATENT oie-ics JAMES MORANO0F HAMMONTON, NET JERSEY, ASSIGNOR `OIE' (SNE-THIRD TO K ANTHONY DE MARCQ OF HAMMONTON, NEW JERSEY,

enANBERnY GATHERER Application `filed iiprn 2o,

It is the purpose ofthe present invention to provide, in acranberry gatherers vacuum passage operatively mountedon awheeisfupported frame with its nose in close proximity tothecranherryloog, With asuetion fan at `the opposite end, `to create a vacuum vin, seid chamber for drawing the cranberries there-V through. Y i rihe invention has for its ,purpose to pio vide severing means et the rnose of the vac uiun chamber including gathering iingers, to comb through the tivigsiand vines, the sever'- ing means acting Vto .cut the ,vines and 'twigs', and thereby `leaving the berries `free to he drown through the vacuum chamber, the nose oi the chamber being supported `by runners, which are capable of'fadjustm-ent .for regulating the height oi the noserelative to the cranberry hog, and `hence govern the eifectiveness of gathering the berries.

Another purpose is to provide a Aconduit in which vthe vacuum passage or chamber is lformed, said conduit being in two sections, the -nose carrying sectionfbeing adjustable, so that the nose ot' the conduit can heregnlated in its height with respect to the cran Iberry hog. i

Another purpose is to provide yieldahl means for theadjustzihie section as Well as `guiding means therefor.

Still another purpose is the provision of means Within the rear Vportion of the vac-num chamber -zieting to heat thecranberries, not enough to injure them, hutsui'hciently tending toward removing them from the twigs or other branches, there being means for screening thehranches and twigs troni the cranberries. Y

it is the aim to provide a Wheel supported franiemoun-ted oil-und inadvanceot a coin ventionsl motor' driven vehiciecliossis, 'th means operatively connecting with the motor osaidvehicle, so as to :in turn operate the different severing means.y oneheing at the` nose :ofthe chamber and the' other ust lin the rear of the berry hosting 1neans,and for operating the heating device as Well as the suction fan. p

it is to he understood that'the particulars herein lgiven :are in no `Way limitive, and that 1927. seal No. 185,232.

lWhile still keepingWithinthe scope ofthe yinvention, anydesired modification of details and proportions may befmade 4in the constrnctionfoi3 the 4appliance according to. cir- :cumstances.v

' The invention comprises `further fi'eatuies `and combination of parts to he hereinafter set forth, shown in the dra-Wings and'claimed.

In the drawings Figure l-is ra view in side elevation of the improvedcranberry gatherer constructed in accordance With the invention.

Figure`2-is a Vplan, vieiv of the same with a part thereof broken away. f

Figure lS-is a sectional vie-W online 3 3 o'f Figure 2.

Figure 1-is a detail sectional 4 4 of Figure 1. y

Figure 5-is a sectional View fon viigne 5 5 of Figure 1. N

Figure 6 is'an enlarged ldetail vieiv'o-one side of the structure shownin--Fi-gure' @more viewon line n clear-l57 vshowing thefoperating means .for the severing device in the rear part ofthe vacuum chamber. y y, 'i

.Figure 7 -is any enlarged view of a'portion oi V.the severing device which is adjacent the ends of the conduit "which has the vacuum-.passage orvchainher. f Refer-ring to the l"drawings, :1 identifies ya frame or chassis which isian extensionofor may -be appliedto the conventional chassis of a motor driven vehicle 2, the generalconstruc-tion of Which is vnot shown but ysimply indicated. A motor 3 iis provided, and its drive shaft 4i has ajvvorm 5, which through the mediumfof a Worin Wheel iv6, operates' a shaft 7. rPhe shaft '4D othe motor carries and operates a suction fan 8, which koperstively mounted in suction fan casing V9, the' casingbeingn-ioimted upon lthe frame 1 as disclosed in Figure I1.

The shaft 7 V-is mounted fin` suitable hear`- ings 11 and carries a sprocket 1.0 `on one end. The sprocket 10 operates-a chain 1005,'Whioh in turn operates a sprocket 12, which is on a shaft 13, Which lis mounted in asuitahle hearing of the side of the machine. The shaft 13 carries a` Worm VWheel 1&1 which meshes 4With alworm 15.011 a shaft 16. This shaft 16 has an eccentric 17 with an eccentric strap 18, there being a rod connection 19 between the strap and the reciprocating cutter bar 2O of the severing device 21 positioned within the vacuum chamber of the drawn into the vacuum chamber-- With the berries, as they are drawn into the vacuum chamber, there is a relatively small quantity of twigs drawn into the chamber. Such twigs being relatively small andy lighter than the berries, therefore the berries will reach a beater, which will act to remove the berries from the vacuum chamber. Those of the twigs that will not passbetween the bars or rods 23 will naturally guide toward the cutters 22, where the twigs will be further chopped, and since they are-relatively light they will be drawn beyond the screening bars or rods 23. Y i

The lower part of thel rear portion of the wall of the vacuum chamber is provided with a semi-cylindrical housing 26, whichV contains an elongated beater 27 operatively mounted upon a shaft 13. This beater comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed blades which act to remove the berries from the vacuum chamber. However, the berries that may remain on some of the `twigs when drawn into the vacuum chamber, are caused to be detached from the twigs due to the.

action ofthe beater on the berries, which berries are permitted to discharge through an opening 29 in the lower part of the housing 26 and into a receptacle 30, which may be supported upon the frame 1 of the apparatus. The shaft 16 is mounted in bearings 31, and its forward end has a universal connection 32 with theend of a: shaftV The shaft 33 is' in `turn connected by anniversal joint 34 tofanother'section of shaft 35, lthe lower forward end of which carries a bevel gear 36 which in turn meshes with a smaller gea-r 37 on a shaft 33 which has an eccentric disk 39 connected by a link 40 to karreciprocating cutter bar 41, which is associated witha plurality of cutters '42. The fingers y42 are located adjacent the nose of the conduit 25, which con duit extends forwardly over the frame 1 and is downwardly positioned, so that the nose thereof is in close proximity to the cranberry bog. The cutters 42 are designed to be positioned from the surface of the ground sufficiently to lift the vines, so that the cutter bar 41"will only cut thetwigs of the upper parts of the cran-y berry boggand as the machine travels forward the cutters 42 tend to comb the berries .wardly through the chamber from the bog, that is comb them off, in order that they may be more readily drawn into the conduit through the medium of the vacuum in the vacuum chamber'. As the cutters perform this function the cutter bar is reciprocating, acting to chop twigs that break loose from `the cranberry bog and hook around the cutters42. The aim is to keep the fingers clean from these twigs andrvines.

'Naturally, as therev is a vacuum created in the chamber there are acertain amount of twigs' and` vines drawn with the berries into said chamber, and these are carried rearand are screened'from the berries, and those twigs which reach .the cutters 22 are further chopped adjacent the rear lower portion of the screening rods, and drawn beyond said rods. The forward Lwall .of the conduitjust immediately above the ends thereof, is provided with ro'ectino` lufrs or bearings43 and these lugs have guides 44, in which Vthe upright arms of the runners 46 are guided. The upright arms 45 having a plurality fof grooves 4I, and threaded in the lugs or bearings 43 are set bolts 48 which may be adjusted to engage the 'grooves k47 and Vthereby holdlthe arms 45 in different adjusted positions, and yet allow the arms to swivel, whilevthe runners 46 will accommodate themselves to the direction in which the apparatus is guided. v, Y

The Vconduit 25 consists of two sections, a stationary section 49 and a movable,` or tiltable section 50, thev latter: being hingedly mounted at 51 to the stationarysection 49. Vhere the section is pivoted it has a telescopic union 52 with the stationary section, so as to permit the section 50 to be raised and lowered, and yet retain the chamber 24 completely closed and thereby preventing the vacuum ceasing.

To guide the section 50, which is of arcuate form and tapered, a suitable frame 53 is mounted upon the frame or chassis l of the apparatus. This frame 53 is supported in an inclined position as shown in Figure 3 and straddles the section 50 of the conduit 25. It is re-inforced by means of a brace 54, and secured by clamps 55 on the section 5() are transverse. rods 56 and 57. one on top of the section 50, the other on the bottom thereof. Each rod consists loftwo sections 58 joined together by a turnbuckle 59. The remote ends of the rods 56 and 57 are forked and journaled therein are rollers 60 which ride on the upright sidebars of the frame 53, more clearly shown in Figure V5. By thisv construction the section 50 ofthe conduit may be guided in its tilting movement. Y To permit this movement to be of a yieldable character tension coil springs 61 are attached at 62 to the transverse portion of theguide frame 53, and in turn are connectedat 63 to the sides ventionally supported wheels 65, and has a side platfom G6, and as vshown in Figure 2, the conduit with its chamber is to one side Y of the frame or platform l, thereby leaving substantial room on the platform or frame to farry baskets of cranberries, or other articles, or on which an operator may ride. The conduit is supported b y uprights 67, and rising from one side of the conduit is an upright arm 68 provided with several openings or apertures 69, and a bar 70 is fastened at 71 to the section 50 of the conduit and extends rearwardly, so as to cross or intersect the arm 68. The bai' 70 has a plurality of apertures 72, any one of which may register with one of the openings or apertures 69, so as to receive a pin or the like, so as to support the section 50 of the conduit in a raised position.

In the operation the machine traverses the cranberry bog, the nose of the Section5() of the conduit passing over `and somewhat adjacent the tops of the vines of the cranberry bog, the runners sliding over the top of the bog. The runners are to be adjusted to regulate the position of the nose of the section 50 ofthe conduit. The suction at the nose of thek section 50 of the conduit lift the vines (not enough to pull them out of the ground or break them otf at the root), and then the fingers or cutters 4t2 comb the berries off the vines as the machine goes forward. The suction created at the nose of the section 50 of the conduit draw the berries up through the conduit and into the vacuum chamber. The bar .Ji-l in its association with the fingers 42 act to keep the fingers clean, by cutting the twigs and the small parts around the tops of the vines. The cranberries are drawn through the conduit to the vacuum chamber, and such twigs as may be drawniiito the vacuum chambei" with the berries are screened from the berries by tue bars or rods Q3, while the berries are beaten or removed from the rear partof the vacuum chamber through the medium of the beater 27 and discharged through the opening 29. Those of the twigs that arev not screened from the berries by the bars 23 move toward the rear until they reach the cutters Q2, where they are finely chopped, and being lighter than the berries are drawn bevond the rods. The twigs when carried bei..

vond the rods are discharged as at (3, while the berries when removed from the vacuum chamber pass through the opening 29 to a box or other receptacle 30.

lt is to be noted that the shaft 33 consists of two sections 83a and 33h, which are united by a slip joint 33d which is rectangular in thereon and provided with a vacuum chamber, the forwardend of the conduit having a pivoted section disposed to partly telescope with-in' said conduit,` said pivoted lsection be'- ing positioned `overt-he frontend of the inachine and having a suction nose torlift the vines `of the bog, means carried by the pivoted section and associa'tedwith and adjacent the suction nose to ride over the bog and thereby govern the position of the siiction nose withv reference to the vines of the bog,l means for combing theberries from the vines, whereby they may Vbe drawn into the conduit at the suction nose, means for 'cutting thetwigs and keeping the combing means clean, screening rods in the rear of the `vacuum chamber'to screen the twigs from the berries, the rear portion of the vacuum chamber having an offset compartment, a beater in said compartmentfor removingthe cranberries from the vacuum chamber, said" compartment having adiscliar'ge opening for the cranberries, and means at 'the lower portions' of the screeningA means for lchopping "the twigs allowing them to be drawn beyond the screening means. Y

2. In av cranberry gatherer, 'a wheel supported frame having'aconduit mounted thereon andprovided with a'vacuum chamber, the-*forward end of the conduit having a Apivoted` section `disposed to partly telescope within said conduit, said VpivotedV section being positioned over the front end of the inachine and having a suction nose to ylift the vines of the bog, means carried by the pivoted section and associated with and ad jacent the suction nose to ride over the bog and thereby govern the position of the suction nose with reference to the vines of the bog, means for combing theberries from the vines, whereby they may be drawn into the conduit at Vthe suction nose, means for cutting the twigs and keeping the combing means clean, screening rods in the rear of the vacuum chamber to screen the twigs from the berries, the rear portion of the vacuum chamber having an off-set compartment, a beater in said compartment for removing the cranberries from the vacuum chamber, said Vcompartment having a discharge opening for the cranberries, and means at the lower portions of the screening means for chopping the twigs allowing them to be drawn beyond the screening means, said pivoted section being yieldably supported, whereby the suction nosey of the pivoted section may travel over the surface of the bog and accommodate itself Vto the irregularities. Y

3. In a cranberry gatheryeiya wheel sup# ported frame having a conduit mounted thereon and provided with a vacuum chamber, the forward end of the conduit having a pivoted section disposed to partly telescope within said conduit, said pivoted section be ing positioned over the front end of the maya chine and having a suction nose to lift the vines of the bog, means carried by the pivoted section and associated with and adjacent the suction nose to ride over the bogand thereby govern the position of the suction nose with reference to the vines of the bog, means for combing the berries from the vines, whereby they may be drawn into the conduit at the suction nose, means for cutting the twigs and keeping the combing means clean7 an arch fastened. to the frame and engaging over the pivoted section,rods carried by the pivoted section with rollers at their endsto .engage with the sides of the arch to guide lthe pivoted section in its'movement, and yieldable Ameans connected to the arch and the sides of the pivoted section to yieldably support the latter, whereby the suction nose may accommodate itself with relationv to the topof the cranberry bog. 1 4. In a canberry gatherer, a wheely supported frame having a conduit mounted thereon and provided with a vacuum chainber, said conduit comprising a main rear section and a forward pivoted section, the latter l partly telescoping within the former, said pivoted section havinga suction nose at its lower forward end with means thereon for combing the berries from the vines, whereby they may be drawn into the conduit at the` 4.0 suction nose, a frame` straddling the pivoted i .section and secured to the wheel supported frame, said straddlingframe having guides, rollers carried by the pivoted section and engaging said guides, and yielding means op- 15 eratively associated between the straddling frame and the pivoted section for yieldably balancing said pivoted section, whereby the suction nose of the pivoted section may accommodate itself to the surface of a cran- Y berry bog.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature hereto.

JAMES EJMORANO.

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